Honesty Hour on Homework

Let’s talk about homework. There are millions and millions of parents, students, and even teachers who question Why homework? There are, of course, two sides to every situation- many times even more sides than two. In this case, I take a stand that homework should not exist, at least not at the way in which it does today in our society. Homework is supposed to prepare for the next class periods, opportunities, and lessons so that one can learn, refine, and reflect on their skills and focus on their growth. However, it seems as if homework (the majority of the time) does not achieve this for the average student. Furthermore, It is often viewed that nothing is more powerful for your future than being a gatherer of good ideas and information and that it all starts with doing your homework. This is a famous promoted idea by Jim Rohn (American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker). It is often advertised and engraved in students at a young age that it is normal to go to school for 8 hours a day (school is already a full-time job) and then to have hours of homework to get done while also trying to be a kid, be involved in extracurriculars, and hang out with your family and friends, because “your future depends on it.” Personally, I say take a load off and give students a break! No young adults should be getting multiple hours of homework a night because there is no breathing time, no mental break, no family time, it is just school, extracurriculars, and homework then off to bed to do it all again the next day. More times than not, students prefer and appreciate a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. There are numerous studies done upon the true benefit of homework and many can conclude that there really is no real benefit there. Of course, others find that homework can be crucial in and for some instances and students and classroom styles. It is all personal preference, experience, and much more. All students learn differently and all teachers teach differently. This is a blessing and a curse! For what it is worth, in my humble opinion, homework should simply be banned and if not banned, most definitely reconsidered because it currently has bunches of negative connotations associated with it. An overload of schoolwork can cause things such as anxiety, depression, procrastination, and other negative mental health instances to develop at a young age- critical life skills and developmental needs are not met when students have an overload of homework to do. At the end of the day, I think it can be agreed upon that spending too much time on homework will lead to not being able to meet and maintain your physical and social needs. Without the privilege, freedom, and capability to socialize, relax, and connect with their support systems, students can become increasingly and more easily burnt out. Students need time to be people other than students! They are human beings that are still growing, still learning, still curious, still full of life, still finding their way, finding their passions, creating and building relationships, and so much more. The fact that things such as homework can be detrimental to all of those amazing things that life has to offer is a sad thought to realize. Schools, learning, and teaching play such an important role in this world so it is important to handle people with care and keep in mind multiple perspectives.